


Us Against The World

by Ella (ellabellachicketychella)



Series: why do the stars shine so bright [13]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Culture, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Canon-Typical Violence, He's Under Pressure, Hunk (Voltron) is a Ray of Sunshine, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) Is Not Okay, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Mind Control, Scars, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27775441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellabellachicketychella/pseuds/Ella
Summary: Shiro has been acting... weird. For a long time. Keith and Lance, determined to find the answer, go onto a mystery planet. La-Kua, trying to find some answers about what had happened to their ex-leader. What they're not ready, is for the mess of what is essentially a cult, different colour robes and generally distress.Because Keith cared about his family, and when his family were messed with. Keith messed back. But what was he supposed to do when his family, his brother, started messing with him.---“Well we watched a girl have basically a cult ritual done on her, I had to hold Lance down. Then we broke several laws and I realised that Shiro is—”Shiro popped up on the screen.“Hey, Shiro,” he said through gritted teeth.
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: why do the stars shine so bright [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979423
Comments: 12
Kudos: 137





	Us Against The World

**Author's Note:**

> Sup! I said this would be out today... I'm not sure how good it is. But there is another part, that leaps directly off of this one and will address all the emotional shit that this one didn't address.
> 
> T.W / Content Warnings: Abuse, gangs (???), Keith has a sad backstory and watched someone get beaten, which is mentioned. Past abuse, and there is quite a lot of violence, and pain inflicted on a kid.
> 
> Please be careful, this one is a right ol' mess.

Keith groaned, folding over himself and staring at the holo-table. Had there always been this much work? Why did wanting to go to a planet require this much paperwork? He’d currently talked with three leaders of La-Kua, the healing leader, and he needed written consent from the head of the interstellar relations department.

To top it all off, Lance waltzed in, a snack bar halfway out of his mouth. “Sup Keith.”

“Don’t,” Keith muttered weakly. “There’s so much paperwork.”

“Why?” Lance took a seat next to Keith, putting his feet up on the table. “I mean random vessels land all the time.”

“Two paladins of Voltron and their lions aren’t random vessels,” Keith sighed and smacked his head against the table. Going up to do it again, and was met by hitting Lance’s arm instead of the sweet relief of the table. “You need to have permission from so many different branches, and then you have to win over the leader of the area you’re staying in.”

“Have you done that?”

“Lance.”

“Was there this much work put into the party?” Lance asked and Keith nodded tiredly. “And some more because you carried your bayards with you on a ‘non-threatening mission’ which is apparently against Gyrty policies, but that didn’t stop everyone else from having a weapon.”

“Is this a non-threatening mission?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, but I managed to spin it into Galra could show up, as they’ve been seen lurking around the area. So less paperwork for me.”

“What else do you need?”

“Written consent from the head of the interstellar relations department. Consent from wherever we’re going to stay because things go wrong and they need to consent to the fact that Galra could just murder them at any point.”

“Anything else?”

“Win over the… president’s, or the equivalents favour. Then I’m done.” Keith yawned, stretching out, feeling particularly like a cat at the moment. He sighed and rested on the table. His arms crossed and his forehead on the table.

“Right,” Lance nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder, and Keith found the strength to turn his head so he looked at him. “Look man, you need some rest.”

“I slept yesterday—”

“Nope,” Lance said, “That’s not how this works.” He grabbed Keith by the collar and he yelped as he was thrown out of his chair. “You need all of those… eight? Hours of sleep, and I will tie you down until you get them.”

“You’ve threatened to tie me to things three times today,” Keith didn’t struggle when Lance dragged him, just letting it happen. “I know you had some weird thing with Nyma but—”

Lance clamped a hand over his mouth and Keith stayed quiet, as he removed it and got dragged down the hallway. He’d grabbed Keith’s arm and was dragging him across the floor, and his other hand dangled there awkwardly.

Pidge was standing in the doorway, just looking at the pair of them. Before going back to tapping away on her laptop. “Whatever you’re doing I want no part.”

“We’re not dating,” Lance groaned. 

“Look, fellas, is it gay to look into your friend's eyes?”

“No!” Keith grumbled from on the ground, “Eye-contact is considered polite.”

Pidge snorted, “Sure,” she laughed again, a bit louder. “Well… kinda seems like your getaway to La-Kua is a date.”

Keith snorted because damn, he really wished that La-Kua was a date, rather than… y’know finding out that Shiro, probably wasn’t Shiro. Or something, there was something wrong.

Mainly because Shiro was actually floating around these days, watching Lance and Keith in a way that Keith used to watch people when they got too close to realising he was a missing child. In a way that meant he could use it later, and run. Or fight.

“Right,” Lance repeated. “Sure, how did you know Pidge?” he said with about the same amount of emotion as a teaspoon. “You saw right through us and saw our undying love for the other.”

Pidge rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah, have fun bromancing or whatever.”

“Putting Keith to bed?” Lance repeated, “You need to go to bed.”

“I slept yesterday—”

“No!” Lance yelled, “Eight hours, you need like ten at least. Go to bed.”

“Go to bed Pidge,” Keith said as Lance started dragging him across the floor. “I’m the leader, listen to me.”

“You’re being dragged across the room by Lance, you’re no leader,” Pidge scoffed. “Besides, what are you? My parents?”

“Don’t think we won’t legally adopt you right now,” Lance said. “I have the papers in my room. C’mon Keith, we’re signing the papers right now,” he kept dragging Keith, and Keith waved at Pidge as he got dragged on his ass down the hallway.

“See ya, Keith!”

“Bye, Pidge!” Keith yelled back and Lance whacked him on the back of the head, “What?”

“We’re parenting her, no time for pleasantries.”

“Well I’m an orphan,” he said flatly. “Don’t exactly have many references.”

“Just do what Shiro would do.”

“Pidge!” Keith yelled, “Go to bed or I’ll tell Lance who you like!”

There was a moment of confused silence.

“I’m aromantic!” Pidge yelled back, “What point are you trying to prove?”

“Shut up!” Keith yelled back and was met with muffled laughter from Pidge. “See? I’m too scary for children.”

“You’re as scary as a teddy-bear,” Lance rolled his eyes and Keith sighed. “Seriously, I can’t believe I thought you were scary. You’re just a fluff-ball in need of love.”

“I’m really not.”

“But you are, Red,” they turned a corner and Keith smashed his legs against the corner with a small noise. “You’re just a sad, sad, little boy who wants a family.”

“You’re sad for a whole other reason.”

Eventually, Lance had dragged Keith to his room. Smashing the door open and dragging Keith inside. Before putting his hands on his hips and letting go of Keith. Leaving him sitting, quite annoyed in his bedroom.

“Lance. I have work to do.”

“Relax,” Lance instead of being a normal person, picked up Keith and dumped him on his bed. “Don’t think I won’t tie you down.”

“What’s your thing with tying me down?” Keith asked the air, “And if someone overheard that, that would sound weird.” He sat up and Lance pushed him back down. “Lance.” 

He sat up again.

Lance pushed him down again.

“Leader’s command, let me up.”

Lance shook his head, “No can do captain, I have explicit orders from your right-hand to keep you here when I deem necessary.”

“You deem this necessary?”

“I do cap’n,” he said in a terrible attempt of a southern accent, and Keith scrunched up his nose. Sitting up, and Lance pushed him down again. “Been told I have.”

“Are you trying to be Yoda?”

“I’m trying to be southern!” Lance yelled and Keith winced at the noise. 

“Well you’re not southern,” Keith said, as Lance forced blankets onto him. “And I reckon you’re doing an American accent until you’re talking in Spanish. You must let go of the American.”

“No thank you, I am proud of my American accent.”

“Me too,” Keith said, deciding. Yes, he wanted Lance to speak Spanish. “Speak Spanish.”

“Hola,” Lance said flatly.

This boy.

“I’ll say something in my accent if you say something in Spanish.”

Lance sat up straighter at that. “Damn. Okay.” He took a deep breath. “Dame tres dolares o muere,” he said and Keith just looked at him. “Give me three dollars or perish, or die, whatever you wanna think.”

“Right.”

“You should say… yeehaw.”

“I didn’t decide what you said.”

“You wouldn’t be able to tell what I said,” Lance said and Keith rolled his eyes, but Keith did not deny it. Because his Spanish skills were limited to insults. “You should say… yeehaw.”

“Yeehaw?”

“Yup.”

Keith sighed, “Yeehaw,” he said, flatly, but even he could hear his southern accent seeping through into his voice. “Are ya done now, Lance?”

“Nope.”

“Of course ya ain’t, ya never done,” Keith crossed his arms and turned on his pillow so he was looking at Lance, who was sitting on his bed. “Fine, I’ll go to sleep.”

“Correct answer,” Lance stood up. “Don’t worry about all the work you have, just get some sleep.”

* * *

Keith woke up, his hands shaking in front of his face. Soft singing. Twinkle, twinkle, little star. He’d become more familiar with that song.

His chest was heaving.

The dream was about Lance. He felt that in his gut without remembering the dream. Only a bit, which was the coldness of his hand.

Instead of saying something smart, acknowledging anything at all. He just stared at the roof, his hands, and his entire body trembling as tears sprung to the corners of his eyes, his chest heaving.

“I am not coping with that,” Keith said quietly, his voice breaking through the silence of the night. “I  _ really  _ am not coping with that.”

He stared at the roof for a moment longer, and he was still shaking. Before slapping his hands against his face. “This is why I had a therapist,” he muttered into the air. “This is why I had a therapist.”

With a groan he turned over, burying his face into the pillow and sighing.

Before seeing Lance’s face as he fell again and shooting straight up. “I am  _ not  _ coping with this.”

Then, because Keith was an idiot. He didn’t go find someone and talk to them about how he was not coping with anything that was happening in his life, and he was probably going to have a breakdown soon. He didn’t go and tell Allura, or Lance, or Coran what was happening or do something else like that, so that what little stability he pretended he had could stay in tact.

No, he instead went to sleep.

* * *

And when Keith woke up, all of the work he had to do was done. 

Lance looked a little bit more tired than usual, but not much, just enough that he’d start talking to Keith in Spanish, before realising Keith had no idea what he was saying and slipping back into English.

Eventually, Keith and Lance had to leave, they forced their armour on, as quickly as they could. And if Keith fell over then smashed his face on the ground, Lance would never find out.

“What happened to your face?”

“Nothing!” Keith said but pushed Lance away who just laughed a bit louder. “Shut up,” Lance laughed again and Keith huffed. “C’mon, we’re going in Red.”

“Why?”

“Because, we can both pilot her,” Keith said and Lance nodded slowly.

Red’s jaw opened and Lance stepped inside, Keith following. There was a low hum, and Keith knew that Lance and Red were talking, but he couldn’t discern it any more. It was just a hum, where he got a feeling of the situation, not actual words strung together.

Lance rolled his eyes and set in the pilot seat, before staring at Keith. “Do you want to pilot?”   
  


“Nope,” Keith grabbed onto Lance’s seat, his nails digging into the seat as Lance took a deep breath. Red lit up and Keith gripped onto the seat tighter. “Go.”

Red roared to life, and Keith held onto the seat.

Something about watching Lance pilot was both relaxing and different. The way his eyebrows narrowed, and the way his tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth, and how his hands just hovered over the controls.

Barely gripping them, more directing than controlling. Because Keith may have been the better pilot out of the pair of them, but Keith was barely friends with Red, they had a mutual understanding.

Still, Red and Keith would try and fight each other on what to do.

Lance seemed more at peace with piloting Red, it wasn’t rough and it didn’t end up with him yelling at Red. 

It actually seemed like they were friends.

“How do you control her this easily?” Keith asked.

“It’s like you,” Lance said and Keith felt a little offended like that. “You don’t push until you have to, and then get ready for the pushback.”

“Oh.”

“It’s quite easy, you and Red are similar. Flying Red is fun.”

“Fun? We’re in a war.”

“Let me have fun,” Lance said, “That’s why we need to have fun,” he smiled and it was the goofiest thing to ever have happened. "Plus," Lance grinned even wider. "At least Red listens to me."

"I listen to you!" Keith argued.

"I know." Lance smiled, his eyes darting away to look at Keith. Before darting back to piloting and the controls. 

The silence that surrounded them was relaxing almost, as Keith brought up all the info he and Lance had found on La-Kua from The Castle's library.

Which wasn't much. La-Kua had a sacred ritual which wasn't for many to see. Normally for the healers.

Something about Quintessence which Lance found out.

That was it.

Still, Keith read it over and over until he knew it off by heart. As Lance glanced back at him, and his brows furrowed.

"You good?"

"Just scared," Keith mumbled, surprising Lance and himself at how honest he was being. But the words tore out of his throat before he could stop it. "Of what we'll find."

Lance nodded, looking back ahead. "I know," he said softly. "Me too honestly. But, we'll be okay."

"Yeah…" Keith said quietly. His fingers curling over the seat tightly and his knuckles and fingertips turned white. 

Instead of saying anything, Lance turned around completely in his chair. His blue eyes meeting Keith's.

"Whatever happens," Lance said. "We'll be okay."

* * *

They landed not long after, with a hum. Before getting swarmed by fans. And Keith who normally had time for these people went for his bayard.

Lance caught his wrist and shook his head slightly, before smiling widely. "Sorry all, we're on a particularly tight schedule today. I'm really sorry."

"Uh—" Keith said. He was the leader, there was something to add. "Lots of… things to do."

"Yeah," Lance said enthusiastically, even though Keith knew that normally he would've facepalmed. "Rituals to see, diplomacy to discuss."

"Lance!" Someone shrieked. "Have my babies!"

"No. Thank. You," Lance yelled back and the crowd around them laughed. "Sorry, all–" 

He grabbed Keith by his chest plate and dragged him through the crowd which parted pretty easily.

Only one person tried to grope him and Lance must've felt Keith's hesitation because he whirled around with his bayard drawn and pointed at the person who had tried to touch him.

"Don't." Is what Lance said, and Keith was almost sure they shit themselves. Because of that tone.

_ Gay. Gay. Holy shit! _

"Touch, him." Lance finished, before promptly putting his bayard away and the crowd parted even quicker. Basically flinging themselves out of the way.

And Keith was even gayer.

The place they were staying was surprisingly close. A fancy place too, with large white and gold walls.

Eventually, a tour guide met them, with light pink skin and antennas. Wearing a long flowy gown which flowed around them like a river bent to suit the landscape.

They smiled toothily at the two of them. "Hello!" An airy and happy voice said. "I'm P'Ooka." They smiled happily. "Welcome to La-Kua."

"Glad to be here," Keith said, as Lance started looking around noting every single thing that he saw. "I'm Keith, and this is…" he looked at Lance who looked off with the fairies. "Lance!"

"Hey." Lance gave a small wave.

So Keith guessed they were playing that Lance was a blundering idiot half of the time. For more information, and people would let their guards down around him.

It was a plan they'd used once or twice and it normally worked shockingly well, all things considered.

This was why Lance was the actor out of the pair of them. Keith could lie, but he couldn't pretend to be someone completely different. While Lance could barely lie to his friends and could change his personality at the flick of a switch.

Keith rolled his eyes before looking back at P'Ooka who shrugged. It seemed that shrugging and nodding were universal symbols.

Lance pretended to stare at the wall and wander off towards a group of aliens in robes. Who eyed him.

"He's stupid," Keith said a bit louder than he had to. "Don't worry about him."

That seemed to put the robed aliens at ease and they started talking again, as Lance wandered around.

Someone who didn't know him better would probably say that he wasn't paying attention, and just being an idiot.

Keith knew him better.

He was absorbing everything, every bit of information and Keith would be counting on that later.

"So," P'Ooka said. "Your room is right down that hallway. There are clothes for you in there, and anything else you need."

Keith nodded, eyes darting to Lance who was looking into a fountain, and eavesdropping two robed aliens chatting in hushed, yet furious tones.

"Thank you for your kindness P'Ooka," Keith said. "And for letting us see your sacred ritual."

"It's an honour," P'Ooka said, "For two paladins of Voltron to witness one, and I could not be more thankful that you are one of the two."

Keith smiled, before looking over his shoulder, at Lance who was walking back over. Hands deep in his pockets.

Quickly Keith spun around and walked down the hallway. Finding their room at the end of an eerily empty hallway. All Keith did was sigh.

Made it inconvenient to escape.

And very easy to watch.

Keith pushed the door open. The only thing of note was that they had mats on the floor with a blankets piled on top of each other.

There was a bar, with two robes hanging on it. A black robe and red robe. 

Keith and Lance glanced at each other. A red and black robe would make it impossible to disappear into a crowd.

Instead of freaking out, Lance stepped forwards and turned the robe inside out. Revealing that it was white inside.

"You're kidding?" Keith said, grabbing his black robe and turning it inside out. Revealing that it was also white. "Come on."

"All robes have a colour inside of them, they rank you. They didn't even bother making us our own."

"You're amazing," Keith all but whispered. "We've been here three ticks."

"Someone has to be the smart one," Lance quipped. "And it's not going to be you."

Keith held his robe. "I can't believe they didn't even try to give us our own robes. They just caused themselves a world of trouble."

Lance turned the robe back, slipping off his chestplate. Before pausing and looking at Keith slowly. “Um— what — stop looking,” he squeaked.

“I’m not looking!” Keith lied, pointedly turning his back and crossing his arms. “I’m not looking.” He repeated, just to cement the lie in his head.

“You were!”

“I was talking to you, and you started stripping!” Keith argued, trying to hide behind his hair because he knew that his face was heating up. “I’m trying to be polite.”

“I didn’t expect you to stare at me!”

“I can feel you staring at me now,” Keith argued, crossing his arms a bit harder and glaring at the wall in front of him. 

“Am not,” Lance stammered out in a way that meant he was lying.

“Why are you staring at my back—” Keith whirled around and Lance squawked, since he was shirtless.

Keith turned back around and decided that his natural colour was bright red. “Oh. My. God,” he whispered so quietly he himself barely heard it.

_ Do not think of Lance shirtless. Do NOT think of Lance shirtless. _

He thought of Lance shirtless.

“Oh my God,” he muttered again turning around and staring at the wall, again so quietly he barely heard it. 

It was silent and all Keith could hear was fabric rustling. Before Lance hummed, “You’re good.” He said, and the robe got thrown at him. Keith muttered several swear words and watched Lance pointedly turn around.

Fine then.

Keith slipped on his robe, way faster than Lance did and threw his armour and undersuit onto the mat that he assumed that they’d be sleeping on. Keith spun around slightly and the robe flew around him, the sleeves went over his hands, and had a giant hood on it, that would hide someone's face if it was up.

Lance laughed and Keith looked at him. “They just turned some robes inside out, look at the stitching on the hood or sleeve.”

Keith did look.

They had just turned some robes inside out.

“They’re stupid,” Keith noted, out into the air. “They’re actually stupid—”

The door swung open and Keith cut himself off, staring for a long moment at P'Ooka standing there, looking quite confused. Lance also looked at P'Ooka, his eyes wide, as he put his bayard on the floor.

Keith had already slipped his into his sleeve because he was a true disaster. Lance looked at P'Ooka. “Hey.” Lance said, giving a dorky smile. “Are— are you good?”

“Would you like to see the ritual?” P’Ooka asked, “There is one happening very soon.”

Lance and Keith exchanged a look, and Keith nodded slowly. “Sure?” He said, like the true intellectual that he was before P’Ooka nodded, and spun around. Walking off, and they assumed that they were suppose to follow P’Ooka.

Which they did.

It was a short distance, and it was a little bit cold. There weren’t any paths between the momentous buildings standing between them. They’d taken a few steps when P’Ooka started talking.

“Most of our severe injuries happen due to the Galra,” and P’Ooka said ‘Galra’ like most other people throughout the galaxy did, like it was a disgusting word, and even saying that would mean that Galra would show up and start causing trouble.

Lance stiffened next to him, and faltered in his step. While Keith did not, and kept walking, just behind P’Ooka. “The disgusting creatures need to be dead, otherwise no one will ever know peace.” P’Ooka turned around to look at them. “I suppose you hold similar sentiments?”

Keith opened his mouth before Lance could, because Keith knew that Lance would try and defend him, “Of course, we of all people know the atrocities that the Galra have commited, against everyone, it’s lucky that you can heal some of the wounds that the Galra cause.”

P’Ooka smiled shortly, and even Keith could see that it was fake. Keith considered holding his bayard in his hand. But kept it in his sleeve, ready to fight, or at least take them by surprise. 

“It is indeed,” P’Ooka said, “It would also be quite terrifying if someone Galra was in a position of power among the rebellion.”

“It would,” Keith kept his voice surprisingly steady and calm. His shoulders relaxed, even if he was screaming inside. 

P’Ooka hummed, and kept up their stride, strong and almost too fast for Lance and Keith to keep up, but they did keep up. In complete silence as Lance and Keith exchanged a look. Lance’s eyes said,  _ ‘be careful here’  _ and Keith tried to convey,  _ ‘it’s fine’  _ as best as he could with his eyes.

Lance rolled his eyes, before looking around, trying to remember where they’d gone. He watched a group of people in hoods, before slowing his pace and dragging behind. 

Keith kept up his pace, for a few more moments, before pretending to realise that Lance wasn’t there and turning around. “Lance,” he tried to sound as annoyed as possible. “What are you doing?”

“Not much,” Lance said, jogging up to catch up with Keith, a glint in his eyes and P’Ooka also stopped, staring at Lance exhaustedly. “Sorry,” Lance mumbled and Keith rolled his eyes, turning around and walking in stride with P’Ooka.

Lance trailed behind.

Eventually they reached a huge building, which reminded Keith more of a colosseum. With archways, except these archways were lined with gold and silver. Shining and shimmering in the light.

The stone itself was black, and Keith didn’t want to think about why the stone wasn’t white instead. It was an incredibly tall structure, and several people walked around with their hoods high up on their face so their actual faces were shielded by shadow.

P’Ooka pulled up their white hood and Keith followed suit, and he assumed that Lance did the same. Still, their robes were black and red, whether everyone else’s were white, it would be impossible to blend in.

Lance pulled Keith a bit closer, “There’s an admin room,” he said quietly. “With all the rituals ever done, sorted by… date I think.” They stepped through the biggest archway, following after P’Ooka. “Maybe by name and date. That’s where we need to get.”

“Right,” Keith looked around the colosseum. It had seats, so many benches, spiralling up and up until the top of the building. Half of the seats were already filled by white robes. “This feels culty,” Keith whispered and Lance nodded.

In the middle of the colosseum, on the floor. Was a huge stone altar, which had what looked like blood on it. Lance gulped and Keith kept his face blank. There were what seemed to be restraints on the slab of rock too.

This was going to be messy then. Really, honestly, messy. And it was going to be loud. 

Keith glanced at Lance, who in all honesty looked terrified, and if Keith didn’t know better, he’d say that Lance was shaking.

P’Ooka grabbed Keith’s sleeve, almost touching the bayard curled in his hand but just avoiding it. “There,” P’Ooka pointed up into what seemed like a private box, or something. “That is where you shall be watching from.”

Keith nodded, “How do we get there?”

With a sigh P’Ooka grabbed the first poor robed person to walk past them. “Take them to the private viewing place.” The robed figure nodded frantically, before dashing off and Keith followed after them, grabbing Lance’s sleeve and dragging him along.

It was a maze, with twists and turns and Keith could see Lance trying to memorise every little nook and cranny, because Keith was trying to do the same.  _ Left. Right. Left. Left. Right. Straight. _

Everytime they turned a corner there was a new step added. Until it ended in,  _ left, right, left, left, right, straight, left, straight, right, left, straight, straight. Seats.  _ Which wasn’t something exactly easy to remember.

The booth was fairly cramped all things considered, and if there had been a door, Keith would’ve thought that this was a prison rather than a viewing booth. Lance threw himself on one of the benches and stared out at the arena.

Lance was shaking more now, so Keith sat next to him. “It’ll be fine.”

“It won’t,” Lance said, “Dios.” He muttered, “This isn’t going to be fine. Did you see the blood on the altar? We’re in what is a cult gathering right now! Then they’re going to cut us up and harvest our blood and something and then —”

“Lance.” Keith’s voice had more strength than he thought that it would, considering he was also scared shitless. “Nothing will happen to us.”

“You can’t say that,” Lance yelled, and Keith was going to knock Lance out in a second. “Look at those restraints! That’s never a sign of anything good.”

“Lance.” Keith closed his eyes with a deep breath. “It’s healing.”

“Healing hurts,” Lance’s voice dropped completely, into nothing more than a whisper. “Healing hurts, and whoever this is getting done to, they’re going to hurt.”

“It’s better that it hurts than it doesn't,” Keith said, wincing slightly. Some less than fond memories popping back into his head. “Hurting means that nerves are working, and that’s better.”

Lance had stopped completely, to just look at Keith. “Why do you know that?” His voice was barely there, nothing above a whisper. “Keith… why do you know that? Why are you speaking from experience?”

Keith took a deep breath, keeping his eyes straight ahead, refusing to look at Lance, who was looking at him with enough concern that Keith would burst out into tears if he looked at him.

“I lived on the streets for a year…” Keith hugged his arms around his knees. “I saw some stuff… some gang… or something, beat a homeless man until he was just twitching. He was yelling and screaming… until he wasn’t, then he was awake, but… didn’t feel anything.”

Lance opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a loud shrill screech. And Keith’s hands clamped over Lance’s ears, without even thinking about it. 

“We convene here today!” A loud booming voice started, “To celebrate, and to heal someone who has needed to be healed for a long, long time and is finally big enough to participate in the ritual.”

It was a child. Keith realised at the same time Lance did, because Lance clapped a hand over his mouth and his eyes were filled with tears. He started shaking his head, standing up and snatching a stick off the floor.

Keith jumped at Lance, knocking him to the ground as they scrambled for the stick. “You can’t do anything Lance,” he whispered, his teeth gritted. “It’ll get you killed.”

“It’ll be a kid!” Lance yelled, “What sort of person am I if I let a child get hurt?”

“They’re already hurting,” Keith whispered back frantically. “Some hurt needs to happen to get better.”

“They’re a child,” Lance yelled, thrashing in Keith’s hold. “Let me go, let me do something—”

“I can’t,” Keith whispered back, his eyes darting back to the archway. “They’ll kill you if you do anything. It’s a  _ sacred  _ ritual, you can’t interrupt a sacred ritual without pushback.”

The fight in Lance’s eyes died down, and Keith got off. But stood in the archway. Lance glared at him, but eventually sat down on the bench and Keith sat down next to him. 

“Today we heal, Jyuil Y’Okkapori. A child born without the use of her legs.”

Lance stood up and Keith dragged him down and Lance sat down, glaring but stayed there.

A small figure was being carried towards the altar. She looked relaxed, and if she was writhing and kicking and screaming, Keith wasn’t sure if he’d be able to hold Lance down. She was being carried by two people in white robes.

Behind them was someone wearing a pink robe and Keith guessed that they were the healer for this particular situation.

Keith watched the girl get placed on the table. She had light pink skin, and two small nubs that he guessed would turn into antennas one day. Lance stiffened up next to him and Keith got ready to tackle Lance.

This was inevitable. Lance would try and save her, and Keith would have to stop him.

There was a beat. 

The pink robed figure walked up to the altar, raising both arms above their head. Before bringing them down.

It was so silent that Keith could hear someone breathing who wasn’t Lance.

Lance’s shoulders were hunched so high that he was probably going to be all shoulders after this was over.

_ “Isa bacē nū cagā karō.”  _ The pink robed figure started, in a booming loud voice and the girl let out a loud scream that echoed around the colosseum. Keith looked at Lance, who was sitting there, his eyes filled with tears.

Keith balled his hands into fists underneath the long sleeves of his robes, so his nails were digging into his skin. As the child let out another cry and started fighting against the restraints, yelling out in a language that Keith didn’t know.

_ “Unhāṁ dī'āṁ latāṁ nū cagā karō, unhāṁ dē manāṁ nū cagā karō.”  _ The healer boomed out again, and Lance’s foot started tapping against the floor, as tears started steadily streaming down his cheeks.

Lance clamped a hand to his mouth, to stop any sounds from coming out and was met with Keith’s arm around his shoulders. As he stared at the girl writhing and screaming with a blank face.

He really was a monster. This child was in pain, and he felt… sad of course, but otherwise. Nothing.

_ “Isa bacē nū dunī'āṁ dē zulama tōṁ rājī karō.”  _ The healer announced, like it was something good. Even at the child wailed, and screamed and writhed on the table, before letting out a scream so earsplitting that Keith winced.

He hated children screaming.

_ This isn’t about you, you idiot.  _ Keith nodded a little bit. The child just let out a broken sob. 

Lance stood up.

Keith threw himself at Lance, and the pair of them hit the ground. Tears were still streaming from Lance’s eyes, as he tried to fight Keith off. But couldn’t, because he couldn’t see that well past his tears, and because Keith was the better hand-to-hand fighter.

Still, Lance pushed and shoved, scratching and flailing to hit something. “Let me go!” Lance yelled and Keith shook his head. “Let me go, you monster.”

Maybe not that long ago, Keith would start punching the living daylights out of Lance. But he knew that Lance didn’t mean it, he was just saying whatever he could to get Keith off of him to go and help the child who was still screaming, sobbing and crying.

And Keith couldn’t blame Lance for that. Even as he scratched and pulled at his hair.

“Stop it!” Keith whispered frantically. “We can’t do anything.”

“There’s always something,” Lance said between tears, “She looks like my niece! She’s someone’s niece, let me go!”

Keith didn’t let him go.

_ “Isa bacē nū unhāṁ lōkāṁ tōṁ cagā karō jō usanū dukhī karana dā irādā rakhadē hana.”  _ The healer said and the child screamed again. They weren’t looking at her anymore, instead turned away.

But they could still hear everything.

The child let out another cry, and Lance stopped fighting. Instead starting to sob, his chest and entire body shook underneath Keith. Keith moved, so he was essentially hugging Lance instead of pinning him to the ground.

One arm was wrapped around Lance’s waist, and the other was running through Lance’s hair. As Lance’s face was buried in Keith’s neck as he shook with sobs.

Keith held his boy.

Before another loud sob from the girl, and another scream, filled with a pain that Keith understood. He’d cried out the same way a long, long time ago. 

Maybe Keith didn’t know her language, but he knew pain.

_ “Bacē nū cagā karō. Unhāṁ dī'āṁ latāṁ nū cagā karō. Unhāṁ dē manāṁ nū cagā karō.”  _ The healer basically yelled, above the girls sobs and Lance cried harder into his neck and Keith let go of him.

Then slammed both of his hands against Lance’s ears and Lance’s hands were almost straight away on top of Keith’s also pushing on his ears to try and block out the sounds of the girl sobbing and crying.

Keith had heard pain before, he’d felt pain like this before, but Lance— he hadn’t and if Keith could protect him from  _ this  _ type of pain, he would.

He couldn’t. No matter how much he wanted to. But Keith would try his damn best to do all he could.

_ “Isa bacē nū bērahimī tōṁ bacā'ō atē unhāṁ dī'āṁ latāṁ nū kama karana di'ō.”  _ The healer said, and it went quiet, apart from the quiet crying of Lance, and the fading yells of the girl. 

Keith couldn’t help but turn around, look over his shoulder at the girl. She’d turned a darker pink colour, and there were what looked like tear stains on her face as she fought meekly against the restraints.

He turned back around and looked at Lance, who looked back at him. “I hate this,” Lance whispered between hiccuping sobs. “This isn’t fair.”

“I know,” Keith said, and pulled Lance into a hug. “I know, trust me.”

There was cheering, and Keith guessed that the girl was walking now. But Keith couldn’t find himself to care, because Lance needed and deserved his full attention right now. So Keith held him that bit tighter.

It was over, and Keith was tired of this. So all he did was hold Lance as he cried.

A few dobashes later, P’Ooka showed up, an eyebrow raised and Keith glared at them, until they turned around and walked away. 

Eventually Lance leant away, wiping his eyes, and looking at Keith. “I’m good now,” he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry…” he said, “For calling you a monster— I didn’t—”

“I know.” Keith replied softly. 

“Oh.” Lance said, wiping at his eyes. “Thanks.”

“You would’ve done the same.”

Lance smiled, wiping at his eyes. “Yeah… I guess I would’ve. Come on. We have an admin room to break into.”

Keith laughed, but he still turned his robe inside out, so the white side was facing out, and pulled the hood high on his face. Lance did the same, they looked at each other. Lance’s face was mainly hidden by shadows, but Keith would recognise him anywhere.

“You good?” Keith asked and Lance took a deep breath, swiping at his eyes and nodding. 

“Yeah. Good now. Let’s go find out what happened to Shiro.”

* * *

“I’m bored,” Pidge said, she was sitting upside down in her chair. Spinning in it as Allura went through the five stages of grief everytime she spun around and almost fell off. “Is it always this boring without Keith and Lance?”

“No,” Hunk looked up from whatever he was working on. “They’re off doing… whatever all the time.”

“They’re totally dating,” Pidge swayed dangerously in her chair and Allura winced. But Pidge didn’t stop spinning. “Like— they ran off to another planet, it’s basically a date.”

“True,” Hunk tightened something and looked up from the part of The Castle that he was trying to fix. “I think it’s sweet.”

“I’m going to need root canal work,” Pidge hit the floor with a crash and Allura made a noise. Pidge stayed lying on the floor, staring at the roof and at Allura’s concerned face. “It’s disgusting. Also, they think they’re hiding literally anything.”

Hunk hummed. Probably realising that Pidge was about to start ranting, and it was better to stop her from ranting. “Lance was literally dragging Keith to his room last night, like, they think they’re being so sneaky. Everyone knows that they’re dating, so why won’t they just say they are?”

“They’re not,” Allura said, sounding disappointed. “They’re not dating, so that is probably why they haven’t said they are.”

“What?” Pidge sat up, “They’re dating.”

“No they’re not,” Hunk reaffirmed. “I know Lance, they’re not dating.”

“What?” Pidge squawked, “They’re idiots!” She yelled at the roof. “How fuckin’ dense does someone have to be— fellas, is it gay to homoerotically dance like Aang and Katara?”

“I have no idea what any of those words mean,” Allura narrowed her eyebrows at Pidge.

Hunk sighed, “Give them a break, they’re… figuring it out.”

“Like you and Shay?” Allura said, and Hunk started making various stuttering noises. “Please, you call her whenever you can.”

Pidge nodded and Hunk buried his face into his part of The Castle. Shaking his head. “I do not. Absolutely not, I can’t believe that you’d even think—”

“Hunk.” Pidge said bluntly. “Give it up. You like Shay— oh, hey Shiro.”

Shiro was standing in the doorway, looking at all of them confused.

“Where have you been?” Hunk asked, “It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages, man.”

Shiro paused, opening his mouth and then closing it. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you—” he paused. And none of them were looking directly at Shiro, that was part of the problem.

Pidge was clambering up to her chair, Hunk was still looking at his piece of The Castle which he was trying to fix, and Allura was trying to make sure Pidge didn’t die if she fell off her chair again.

Maybe if they had been looking at him, they would’ve seen the way his face twisted and contorted. And when Allura eventually did look at Shiro his face looked normal, completely hiding the struggle that he’d just had.

“Yes?” Allura asked.

“Nevermind,” Shiro said. “It’s— no.” His face contorted again and Allura raised an eyebrow. Now everyone was looking at Shiro. 

“Shiro are you okay?” Allura asked, “I know the lion switch has been difficult, it’s been difficult on everybody. But you don’t need to isolate yourself from us, you still matter to us.”

Shiro turned around, and walked away. 

And if someone had followed him, they would’ve noticed how Shiro grabbed a knife. And how very not-like Shiro his eyes had become.

* * *

Keith ducked behind a pillar, dragging Lance with him. Before looking out the edge. “Which way?”

“Straight,” Lance whispered back. Before dragging the pair of them out from behind the pillar. “Stop sneaking, look like you’re supposed to be here.”

Keith nodded, and started his strides. Making them look powerful and purposeful, Lance did that same next to him, and Keith almost started shrieking with joy when people got out of their way.

Perfect.

Lance made a sharp turn and Keith turned with him, amazed at how in sync the two of them were being. Lance paused for a split second and made another turn, before ending up in a huge room.

There were books everywhere, and Lance walked up to the one that was out on the table. He scanned it, before starting to flick through the book. Keith walked next to him, looking through the book with him.

Lance hummed, reading. Before there was some scuffling and someone cleared their throat. They spun around, staring at someone in a pink robe. “What on La-Kua are you doing?”

“Do you not want us to update the files?” Lance asked, “We thought you’d be busy.”

The healer hummed, walking forwards, their pink robe swishing around them as they walked forwards. Pushing them out of the way, and laughing. “Why are you snooping around in the notes?” They asked, snapping the book closed.

“References,” Keith said. “It’s our first time doin’ the notes. We didn’t wanna mess it up,” and he was ashamed that he slipped into his southern accent in an attempt to hide his voice. Then he decided that he hated himself for being southern, because Lance was going to have a field day with this—

The healer hummed again, “Sure…” they said. And it went quiet, as Lance flipped to the right spot in the book, grabbing the pen thrown on the table and Keith was pretty sure that Lance had a plan, all he had to do was distract the healer.

“So…” Keith said, “How does the healin’ actually work?”

“You are new,” the healer muttered. “Why don’t you know that—”

“I do,” Lance said, still crouched over the book. “Quintessence sharing, you give some of your healthy Quintessence to the patient and eventually that Quintessence will get intertwined with the patients, and they’re healthy. We learnt this.”

“I might’ve been asleep,” Keith muttered. 

The healer laughed, “I remember my days in those classes. You’ll make it out alive.” He pat Keith on the shoulder.

“So, is there a reason that…” What was her name? “Jyuil Y’Okkapori was born without the use of her legs.”

The healer shuddered, grabbing the sleeve of their robes and picking at the stitching of it. “The Galra,” the healer snapped. “They poisoned her planet, and her mother breathed in the toxins, which effected Jyuil before she was born.

Oh.

Keith nodded, crossing his arms. “I have a question about Quintessence sharing, none of my teachers are answering them. Could you, in theory, take over someone’s body with your Quintessence?”

“It’s hard to say,” the healer picked at some stitching on their robe. “Even I don’t know everything about Quintessence. It would be difficult, for someone like me who has healed hundreds of people… I couldn’t focus on one person. But maybe a new healer would be able to?”

Keith nodded, crossing his arms.

“That however, is forbidden,” the healer said. “It is against the rules, it’s an invasion of a person. Hence why, it has never happened before and it will never happen. It’s the highest dishonour, punishable by death.”

Keith stared, before nodding. As Lance closed the book, and if Keith didn’t know better. He’d say that there was something in his sleeve. Lance looked at the healer, and gave a short nod. “There you go.”

Lance started walking away, and knocked against the healer. Keith apologised and followed after him. Neither of them said anything for a long moment. Just going through the winding hallways.

They found the booth again and walked towards in.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Someone yelled, and they didn’t stop. “The paladins of Voltron are in there, you’re not allowed to be in there—”

They stepped in, and Keith changed his robe back to the red colour, turning it inside out and Lance did the same. Before someone in a white robe walked in, panting slightly. Staring at them.

“Y—you, what?” Their voice sounded fairly masculine. So Keith was going to take this.

Keith decided to take this, he stepped forwards. Getting up in their face, so close that Keith could see his face. Light green skin, with wisps of darker green hair hiding in his eyes. The robed boy stammered for a bit and Keith leaned a little bit closer.

Taking off the hood he put his mouth by the boy's ear. “Don’t tell anyone and I’ll make it worth your while,” he all but purred. Before moving back and quirking an eyebrow, at the boy who was a stuttering, stammering mess.

“I— uh— I— Keith—”

“Let me rephrase this, baby,” he made his voice low on baby. “You’re not going to tell anyone what you just saw, otherwise, your head is going to become quite familiar with not being attached to your body, and none of your healing buddies will be able to heal you after I’m done with you.”

He paused, and swore the boy was actually shaking. “In fact, no one is going to find you after I’m done with you. Someone in Voltron is at jeopardy because of your stupid healing methods, and they won’t blame me at all. Get that, pretty boy.” He patted the boy on the cheek and lifted his hood back up.

“I’d leave,” Lance added. “Before he changes his mind.”

The boy turned around and ran.

“I feel bad for him,” Lance sighed, “You literally just traumatised him.”

“Show me what you pandered,” Keith said, straight away. Not in the mood to fool around. 

Lance brought a piece of paper out of his sleeve.

_ ‘Takashi Shirogane’ _

It said what had happened, with some notes on how he’d reacted, and Keith felt cold all over when it read:  _ ‘Barely reacted which is unusual, I haven’t seen that for anyone else. Maybe I did the ritual wrong? Or maybe he has a weirdly high pain tolerance.’ _

Keith took a deep breath and looked at Lance. “Shiro isn’t Shiro,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “I reckon whoever did this ritual swapped their Quintessence, it’s basically a body swap. Or like a puppet situation.”

Lance gave a sigh. Before nodding. “I think that too…” he said, before pausing. “The pods can record.”

“What?”

“Coran knows the pods can record… if we stay there, if anything happens. Even if the cameras are knocked out. There’s proof of what happened, and… well they’ll figure out that… Shiro, isn’t Shiro.”

Keith paused, clapping his hands together. “Okay. So what do we think happened?”

“A newbie healer, maybe messed up the ritual, and made it so that they could basically swap Quintessence. So that Shiro is trapped in that healer's body, and the healers know how Quintessence works, so they can switch back and forth. While Shiro is thrown into whatever the healer wants.”

Keith straightened up, “That’s why Shiro’s normal sometimes,” he said, “Because the healer is in their own body. Shiro’s dystrophy is healed… but it came at the cost that he doesn’t always have control over his body.”

“Why would a healer go rogue?” Lance asked, crossing his arms, pacing back and forth. “It’s punishable by death, the highest dishonour imaginable. No one would just throw that away.”

“It’s a connection to Voltron,” Keith argued. “Being able to puppet-control the leader— that’s why Black rejected him.”

“What?”

“Shiro was more… random healer than Shiro. Of course Black wouldn’t let something foreign in. Maybe it was gradual, Hunk said he was Shiro roaming about ages ago… like when you were gone. Slowly his body got taken over—”

He paused. 

That thought was terrifying. That Shiro felt his body getting taken over and becoming less and less in control, and he still didn’t tell anyone… 

“Why didn’t he say anything?” Lance asked, and it felt like it was more out into the world than at Keith. “I mean— he’s— he trusts us. Right?”

Keith paused mid-stride. “He broke up with Adam because of him going into space instead of dealing with his dystrophy— he was supposed to have an operation to try and give him more time to live. Then he blasted himself into space instead of getting that operation. And Adam broke up with him.”

“And?”

“And— Shiro went behind our backs, to get the ritual done, and it led to this disaster. Why would he tell us? He thinks that we’ll blame him.”

“We wouldn’t.” Lance said firmly.

“ _ He  _ doesn’t know that,” Keith argued. “I mean, I didn’t know about his dystrophy before we figured it out, and Shiro’s kinda private… and—”

Lance came to the realisation at the same time Keith did. “Shiro thought he was gonna die before the war was over,” Lance said. “That’s why he, did all this,” he gestured around himself. “Because he didn’t want to leave us alone.”

Keith sat down on the bench. Giving himself a long, long time to let this all set in. His brother wasn’t really his brother but someone pretending to be his brother to… do something. And Keith was pretty sure he knew why that was.

He opened his mouth to tell Lance his theory.

P’Ooka stood in the archway. “Are you two alright?” They asked, “Finally got all your pesky emotions out of the way?”

“Yeah,” Keith said. “We need to go.”

“What?” P’Ooka said, “You’re supposed to stay for another day.”

“We need to go,” Lance reaffirmed. “Thank you for your hospitality, we’re very grateful. Something came up. Thank you P’Ooka.”

Keith ran out the archway, turning to look at P’Ooka. “Also,” he said, “If you don’t want us sneaking around. Don’t give us robes that you just turned inside out!”

Lance yelped and ran down the hallway with him. 

There was a scurry to get to their room, and into their armour and get off this damn planet before P’Ooka realised that they had gone through that book, threatened one of the healers, and tricked a seemingly experienced healer.

So Keith didn’t give half a fuck when he got out of his robe and shrugged his robe off. Lance apparently didn’t care either as he shook off his robe and struggled to put on the undersuit. Keith already had his on and was clipping on the armour, and slipping it over his head.

He grabbed both bayards as Lance put on his helmet.

With about zero hesitation, Keith picked up the robes. They might come in use later. He passed Lance his bayard and he sprinted down the short hallway, P’Ooka was storming in the door to the foyer.

With about ten beefy looking people following them.

Oh. Great.

Keith didn’t do anything for a long moment, instead basically skidding to a halt and holding out his arm to catch Lance from running into them.

His eternal monologue consisted of:  _ fuck, fuck, fuck me, fuck, this is not good. Yikes, yikes, a big fucking yikes.  _ Which was a disaster in general.

“Hey,” Lance said, “Don’t suppose we can use diplomacy?” He asked, “That’s always a good way to resolve conflicts.”

Instead of diplomacy there was a laser shot over their heads and Lance squealed. “Right, okay, cool. We don’t have time for this.”

Another laser shot and Keith brought up his shield. “Lance!” He yelled, “A plan would be fantastic!” Another laser shot so violent that it moved Keith back as it hit his shield. “I swear to God, Lance!”

“I’m not the plan guy!”

“You’re the plan guy, that’s your thing!” Keith got thrown back and hit the ground. Knocking Lance over with him, before bringing his shield back up. “You have the plans, and I don’t. That’s the dynamic.”

“I don’t think that’s the dynamic—”

“Lance!”

“Working on it pretty boy,” Lance said and if Keith wasn’t currently trying to not get shot. He would’ve said something back. “Make them shoot the window, move back.”

“Stop back-seat fighting.”

“Then listen to me!”

“I am listening to you!” He yelled back, before taking a deep breath as Lance brought up his shield. Keith turned around, there was a window right behind them. A laser flew at them, and Keith hit the floor.

There was a smashing noise and Keith lept up, dragging Lance with him. Smashing through the window in the foyer and sprinting as fast as he could to Red. Lance was also running, checking over his shoulder as he led the way.

Eventually they saw Red in all of her glory.

Her jaw opened on command as Lance ran in and Keith ran in afterwards. There was the squeak of a chair as Lance threw himself into the chair and Keith fell onto his face as Red roared to life.

Keith ran to the controls, and smashed them to contact The Castle. A few moments later Pidge’s face popped up. “Keith, Lance, how was your not-date?”

“We’re in shit!” Lance yelled, dodging a laser shot being sent from another ship.

Well that wasn’t good.

“I think we’re banned from La-Kua!” Keith yelled, ducking for some reason as a laser went overhead. There was a shuddering smack and Red went spinning and Keith was thrown to the side. “Yeah! We’re banned.”

“What the fuck?” Pidge said, and Hunk’s face popped into the video. “What did you do?”

“Steal important documents, probably broke several laws, vandalism, destruction of public property—” Lance yelped as he tried to gain control of Red and stop spinning. “It’s not good.”

“What sorta date were you on?” Pidge asked and if Keith wasn’t so dizzy he would be arguing this with Pidge.

“Well we watched a girl have basically a cult ritual done on her, I had to hold Lance down. Then we broke several laws and I realised that Shiro is—” 

Shiro popped up on the screen.

“Shiro is there?” Keith asked, as Red lurched him to the side, but he managed to stay mostly upright. “Hey, Shiro,” he said through gritted teeth. Whether because of Lance’s piloting, Shiro or the fact that they were currently under attack Keith didn’t know.

“Hello, Keith,” Shiro returned. “What were you saying again?”

“Nothing,” Keith yelled as he got thrown to the side, “Fuck! Fuck me, Lance!”

“Is there a comma there?” Lance asked, “Because I’m flattered Keith but—”

“Pilot better! Turn left!”

Lance turned right out of spite and Keith went tumbling again. Hitting the other side of Red and groaning, before managing to find his footing as Lance broke out of the atmosphere with a warm feeling.

Eventually they landed in Red’s hangar.

And Keith felt as frazzled as he felt, his hair was out and messy in all directions and he felt bruised all over as he hobbled inside. Lance next to him, making fun of him.

So kindly. “Hurry up old man, be careful or otherwise—” Keith kicked him in the knee and Lance howled. “Ow, you bastard!”

“Don’t call an orphan a bastard,” Keith said and Lance sighed. 

“You have to carry me now.”

“I don’t.”

“You gotta, I don’t make the rules—”

“I’m the leader—” a door opened into the cyro pod room and Shiro was standing there. “Um. Hey, Shiro.”

“Hello.”

“W—what are you doin’ here?” Keith asked, “Don’t you need to go brood in your room or something, you haven’t been around lately, what changed?”

“Keith—”

“Don’t Keith me,” Keith snapped. “Where have you been, Shiro?”

Lance stepped past and walked over to one of the pods, fiddling around with it.

“Keith—”

“Stop that, you fucked up.”

“You were reckless. You possibly ended any possible alliance that we could’ve had with La-Kua.”

Keith wanted to punch Shiro, the real Shiro. Not whoever this was. Well… also them. He crossed his arms, and walked into the cryo pod room properly. His bayard still in hand. “Well what would you have done? You’re the better leader anyway.”

He pretended to tip his helmet at Shiro. “Tell me, all-so-knowing-wise one. What would you have done? Considering this is the first time we’ve talked in… weeks, what would you have done?”

“Not break several laws to start with.” Shiro said.

“Hey, Shiro,” Lance said, with false causality. “How long since you had your last muscle spasm.” He did something and the pod beeped. He looked at Lance who gave a short nod. 

Shiro sighed.

“I guess I shouldn’t call you Shiro,” Lance said bluntly. Leaning against the pod. “That does lead to the question, what do I call you?”   
  


Not-Shiro started clapping very slowly, as Keith and Lance both transformed their bayards. Pointing them at not-Shiro didn’t even pretend to look bothered. He sighed, obviously tiredly.

Keith was somehow even gayer for Lance in particular. Which wasn’t supposed to be relevant right now, considering some stranger had Shiro’s body, and Shiro probably had that stranger’s body.

_ Not the time Kogane.  _ One part of his brain said.

The other said,  _ pretty boy go brrrr,  _ and Keith agreed with that part.

“Great job,” Not-Shiro drawled, like this was somehow boring him. “I knew you’d figure it out eventually. Even if you hadn’t had Keith helping you,” not-Shiro was looking at Lance now, and that somehow made Keith’s blood boil and bubble underneath his skin.

“I’ll give ya that Lance McClain, you’re smart, despite everyone else thinking otherwise—”

Keith coughed loudly, and both of them looked at him. “Sorry, I’m allergic to bullshit,” he coughed again. Before pointing his bayard at not-Shiro. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t attack right now.”

Instead of not-Shiro saying anything, metal found its way around Keith’s wrists and ankles. Keith yelped, his bayard slipping out of his hand. He tried to catch it, but was met with being stuck in place.

Lance had managed to hold onto his bayard throughout that, and he had it pointed at not-Shiro, his eyes calm despite everything.

Not-Shiro raised an eyebrow at him, “I’d recommend putting that down, unless you want your pretty Galra boy to get hurt, he looks like someone who yells a lot when they’re in pain.”

That was not correct.

But go off not-Shiro.

Lance’s weapon was on the ground before not-Shiro finished his sentence completely. With a loud clattering noise, as not-Shiro raised both eyebrows and gave a sick smile, before looking between the pair of them.

“The smallest one… Pidge, is so easy to manipulate. The easiest out of the lot of you, ‘please Pidge!’” Not-Shiro did in a passable impression of Shiro. “‘I’m scared that Sendak will attack, I have PTSD, we need to be able to apprehend intruders in the castle!’ Pathetic.”

“Bullshit!” Lance yelled, fighting against his chains. “Pidge is the smartest person I know and if you keep dissing her, I’ll have to throw hands.”

Not-Shiro cackled, “Ha. I think she misses her family, maybe she sees your leader like an older brother? She did always seem to listen to Shiro more than the rest of you, even when I was in control.”

“Fuck off!” Keith strained against his chains, not caring if his wrists became raw and red, because this situation wasn’t good at all. “You’re a bitch anyway, fight us like a real man.”

“Oh,” Not-Shiro said, feigning shock. “Like a real man? I can see into all of Shiro’s memories, boy, don’t think I don’t know about every single thing you told Shiro. Which foster-father told you that again? Phillip, right?”

Keith grit his teeth and tried to lunge forward, and was only met with resistance and no movement. 

“Oh, it was,” Not-Shiro said, running a hand through his white tuft. “What else did he call you? Should we go through those, let your friend see how  _ broken  _ you are.”

“Leave him alone!” Lance yelled.

“Leave this monster alone?” Not-Shiro repeated.

Everything hurt that much more when it was Shiro saying it. It all seemed real when Shiro said it. Whoever was possessing Shiro could see all his memories, if that person had come to these conclusions, who was to say that Shiro himself hadn’t. They hurt his chest, it felt like a knife twisting every time not-Shiro said something that Keith knew was true. 

All of the things that not-Shiro was saying were completely true.

“You know what he’s done?” Not-Shiro yelled, “All the atrocities? And you ask me to leave him alone. He’s a  _ freak  _ not even good enough to be a pure-breed, instead he’s a dirty half-breed.”

“He’s my friend!” Lance yelled back, “I don’t care if he’s an ugly rock. He’s still Keith!”

“Noble,” Not-Shiro snorted. “Good intentions, you’re a good man Lance McClain, but you’re still only a man. What will you do if Keith is fighting you? What will you do if you’re fighting me? Are you willing to hurt someone you look up to.”

Lance spat in not-Shiro’s face. “Shiro will understand.”

Not-Shiro turned to Keith, before starting to follow him, as Keith followed him around each time. “I’ve always wanted to meet a Galra, you barely look Galra too, it’s quite shocking actually.”

He reached for Keith and pried his mouth open, before poking at his canine teeth.

Keith chomped down and not-Shiro yelped. “You filthy animal,” he snapped. “You bit me!” He slapped Keith across the face, the pain was immediate and it hurt. It hurt because it was Shiro, and it hurt because he was being treated like a dog.

“It’s intriguing, I have a rare opportunity. See what make Galra tick, see what makes them hurt.” He pinched Keith in the side who flinched away but didn’t make a noise. “What riles you up, what makes you strong enough to break out of these chains.”

Fine. Keith could handle being slapped around a bit, the psychological damage that being hit by Shiro would be less fine to handle. But he’d be able to handle it. If he could watch someone getting beaten in front of him when he was… like ten, he’d be able to handle being thrown around.

“Bring it on,” Keith spat.

Not-Shiro turned to Lance, and suddenly, Keith didn’t want not-Shiro to bring it on. “No, no, no, leave him alone.” Not-Shiro’s arm lit up and Keith fought against his chains. “Leave him alone!” He yelled, his voice echoing around the room.

Lance made eye contact with Keith. “Keith, you need to calm down,” he said, but his eyes still darted to Shiro’s arm, which was glowing and Lance’s eyes were wide and scared.

“Let him go!” Keith yelled, even if yelling was doing nothing. “He’s done nothing to you, leave him alone! Leave him alone Shiro! Don’t touch him!” He strained against his restraints, and he couldn’t find himself to care about the pain that came with it. “Stop it!” Keith yelled, and the words were tumbling before he could stop them.

“It’s me you have a problem with! Not him, let him go, or so God help me when I get my hands on you, you’re going to wish you were never born!”

“You think petty threats scare me paladin? Especially when you yourself are terrified for what is to happen to your friend.”

Keith fought against his chains, to be met with no leanway and only resistance. “Let him go!” Keith yelled as Shiro’s arm was turning a sickening colour of purple, as Lance was trying to lean away from the arm.

Oh. God.

There was the sound of sizzling and a strangled cry coming from Lance.

Keith threw himself so far forward that he was sure his shoulders dislocated. “Let him go!” Keith yelled again, even if it wasn’t helping. “He’s done nothing, he’s done nothing, stop hurting him.”

Not-Shiro looked at him and smiled, “You think I’m going to stop? I’m not going to stop until you turn Galra.”

“I can’t do it on command!”

“Well learn,” Not-Shiro snarled, “Or else more and more of his flesh will burn away, until there is nothing left of him. Until you turn Galra, he will be in pain.”

“Stop it!” Keith cried, “This isn’t fair.”

There was only more sizzling and Lance crying out again. Writhing in the chains and Keith would’ve done anything to let them swap places. 

He let the anger rise in him. He could do this. He could do this, his eye-sight tinted yellow and when Lance screamed, “Stop, Keith!” He snapped out of it straight away, looking at Lance.

“Don’t you get it!” Lance yelled, “He’s going to kill us both! He’s going to kill me and you’re going to attack him when you’re all Galra. Then he’s going to kill you and claim it was in self defence. He’ll say that you killed me!”

Lance cried out in pain again as Shiro’s arm was clamped around his arm. 

“I don’t care what happens! If you turn Galra, it’s a shit ending for the both of us!”

Keith took a deep breath, before looking at not-Shiro. “Let him go,” his voice was surprisingly level despite his insides screaming for relief, and for Lance to be safe. “He won’t say anything, this way you won’t have to kill an innocent person… just, me, the same reasoning works. Lance will say we were arguing or something and they’ll all believe you.”

Lance opened his mouth and Keith shot him a glare.

“Please, there’s no need to hurt him. Aren’t you a healer? This’ll save an innocent life, you still win this way! There’s no downside to it.”

“How do I know he won’t talk?” Not-Shiro eyed Lance, “He seems disgustingly loyal.”

“He won’t, he won’t mention a single thing that you’ve done.” His wording was careful on purpose.

Lance could tell them about with the recording on the pod that way. As Lance had done that, and they’d see what not-Shiro had done, and Lance would’ve kept his side of the deal. Lance’s eyes widened at the wording.

Good. He got it too.

“And if he says anything that you’ve done, kill me, hurt him. You kill him,” Keith said through a slightly wavering and wobbling voice as he looked at the person who was inside of his brother’s body. “You kill him. I won’t even haunt you.”

Lance was shaking his head. Keith was looking at not-Shiro. “Please, let him go.”

Not-Shiro hummed, looking at Lance, then at Keith who hoped he looked like he was about to cry, so maybe he could get some empathy or basic humanity.

“Fine,” Not-Shiro said and Keith relaxed. “But I’m going to kill you before he’s allowed to leave. He has to watch the life drain out of your eyes.”

Lance froze something, “What does killing him achieve, he’s a paladin of Voltron, everyone’s going to be after you!”

“Be quiet,” Not-Shiro snapped. “Or I’ll do something permanent—”

“Deal,” Keith said, his voice shaking. “Just, let him go.”

“I’m a man of my word,” Not-Shiro said and Keith hoped he was able to trust him with this one thing and that Lance would be alright.

Not-Shiro walked over to Keith, and Keith couldn’t find himself to be scared. He just hoped Lance and Shiro didn’t have complexes after this, because, God, did they already both have complexes.

Keith stared at not-Shiro’s arm. It was purple.

Not-Shiro raised his arm, as it basically glowed purple.

There was the sound of chains hitting the ground, a purple flash came from where Lance was, but Keith couldn’t see anything as Shiro’s arm swung down—

And nothing.

Instead not-Shiro was crying out in pain and Lance was holding his bayard, shaking slightly. Before shooting four shots at the chains holding Keith, and Keith sprung free, grabbing his bayard and getting into a stance.

_ Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy fucking shit what the fuck happened? _

Keith decided not to think about what had happened too much, and instead lunged at not-Shiro as Lance started firing, directed towards that damn arm. But not-Shiro was aiming at Keith.

Swinging his bright glowing purple arm, trying to make contact with Keith’s face, or something as Keith weakley parried with his sword. 

Trying to get an upper hand and not getting one, not-Shiro looked at Lance, before firing a laser out of his arm. Which was new. Lance yelped and that got Keith’s attention for a split second.

A split second long enough for not-Shiro to lunge, aiming for his stomach. But it was still a split second long enough for Lance to get in the way, ducking slightly.

Lance cried out in pain again, as a cut showed up on the left side of his face, from the side of his chin to a bit underneath his eye. It started bleeding straight away and a lot.

Keith shoved Lance out of the way and swung at not-Shiro. Using a mess of chains and his bayard as he swung, putting not-Shiro on the defensive as he tried to parry and defend himself from Keith’s deadly blows.

Before Keith retreated, scurrying to Lance’s side and the cut on his cheek which was bleeding a concerning amount. Keith pressed his hand to Lance’s cheek who swore a lot. “We need to beat him,” Lance said weakly, standing up as not-Shiro started advancing. 

“You’re an idiot,” Keith said softly, “Don’t get in the way of something sharp.”

“You were gonna get proper stabbed,” Lance stood up, holding his bayard. “I’m fine.” He pointed his gun at not-Shiro. 

There was something slamming on the door. “It’s locked!” Pidge’s voice yelled, “Why is it locked?”

Not-Shiro lunged and Keith parried as Lance sent a shot flying at him. Not-Shiro swung again, near Keith’s arm and Keith responded by swinging himself. It hit Shiro’s prosthetic arm with a clang.

“Keith? Lance? Shiro?” Hunk yelled through one of the doors, “What’s happening? Pidge, Coran, get this door open!”

“I’m trying!” Pidge yelled back, “I’m really trying! This coding isn’t in English!”

Keith growled as he watched Lance open one of the pods. That was the goal then. Keith spun around, so his back was towards one of the pods. “C’mon,” Keith said through gritted teeth. “Wanna kill a Galra, come get me.”

And Keith honestly didn’t think that it would work. Not-Shiro ran at him, using all of his force and momentum. Keith stayed there, before darting out of the way, even as pain shot through his arm.

The pod door closed and not-Shiro was trapped in there, fighting against the metal as the window started frosting up. Until not-Shiro stopped fighting and froze completely in the pod.

Keith leant against the pod, clutching at his arm which was in so much pain that he was barely thinking. Instead he clutched it as Lance walked over to the door, and sent a shot at the control panel. Making that explode and the door slide open.

Coran, Hunk, Pidge and Allura ran in. 

Allura scanned the room. Before seeing Keith leaning against the pod that not-Shiro was trapped in and rushing over. Looking at his arm before sighing.

“Your arm,” Allura said, looking at it a bit closer. “What happened?”

Keith felt weirdly fuzzy, he hadn’t lost that much blood at all. But his head felt funny, lighter than usual. He blinked a few times at Allura. “Shiro’s not Shiro,” he whispered, as he watched Pidge, Hunk, Coran and Lance.

His vision had dots around it, and they were blurry. Weird. Allura’s lips were moving, but Keith heard nothing.

Before he felt himself falling forwards and… nothing.

* * *

Lance fell out of the pod a few hours later. Landing in Hunk’s arms, as he stared at the pod that Keith was in. He looked oddly peaceful, for Keith, he wasn’t yelling or screaming, or even getting ready for a fight.

He was resting.

His eyes travelled to the next pod. Where not-Shiro was standing, upright and tall as Lance stared. His hand travelling to his cheek and feeling a scar.

He had a scar. On his face.

“Oh.” Lance said, looking at Hunk. “Oh.”

“We saw the video,” Hunk said, sounding tearful, launching himself at his friend and wrapping his arms around Lance. “We saw everything. Keith would’ve died if you hadn’t got in the way.”

“Oh.” Lance held his cheek. And maybe it was a selfish thing to cry about, but it was more that the scar was the final line. After weeks and weeks without any rest, or a moment to pause.

He’d “died” almost died again, found out that Shiro was being weird, concerningly so and then had to fight one of the people he looked up to the most and Lance just didn’t know how to feel about it all.

So he cried, into Hunk’s arms. Who was the most understanding person that Lance had ever met and held him. Rubbing a soothing hand on his back as Lance cried and cried. He cried for everything he’d left behind, and he cried for the future.

And when Pidge slipped in. If she joined the group hug, Lance didn’t care. As he cried and hugged his friends, hoping that they understood that he loved them.

* * *

The solution was annoyingly simple. All the healers had to do was swap Shiro’s Quintessence, with the guys that Keith had threatened. Because it turned out he was the guy trying to kill Keith, and the guy who controlled Shiro.

Shiro had been in that body at the time.

So Keith had called Shiro baby, which when Lance realised he laughed so hard he cried.

He wasn’t allowed back on La-Kua to see the Quintessence swap, but everyone else went. Lance instead stared at Keith’s pod. Wrapping a blanket around himself and staring at Keith. Who was so peaceful.

Who had gone through so much over not long.

Lance just looked at him.

When the others came back they said how easy it had been, because Shiro’s Quintessence and the guy who Keith had threatened, (named Yomma) was so different, that it barely intertwined.

So it was more like picking up a diamond in a paper bin, rather than finding a piece of cardboard. At least that was how Pidge had explained it.

Soon after Shiro talked to everyone (minus Keith, since he was still in the pod) about how he should’ve opened up, and told them what was wrong. Because they were a team, and Shiro had learnt the hard way that opening up and being honest wasn’t all that bad.

(Keith would have learnt something from that talk.)

Later Shiro took Lance aside, and apologised profusely. Lance apologised for not being to get Shiro back to normal quicker, and Shiro told him that he was, ‘an idiot’ and then hugged the life out of him.

It didn’t seem quite normal yet, Lance would still flinch a little when Shiro moved too fast.

But it was something.

Not much.

But something.

Now all he needed was for Keith to wake up. Then everything could finally be back to normal.

* * *

Keith woke up. Falling at someone. Who caught him, and Keith stayed there, as his legs gave out and he almost hit the floor, before someone caught him underneath the armpits and stood him up.

“Keith?” Came Shiro’s voice and Keith jumped straight away, sending a fist flying, which was stopped mid-air and Keith jerked his hand away, staggering backwards he hit the pod. “Keith…”

“Don’t touch me!” Keith yelled.

There was the sound of scrambling around him, and Allura and Lance were there. “It’s okay,” Allura said, “It’s actually Shiro.”

Keith rubbed at his head, still feeling fuzzy and confused. “What?”

“Allura tracked Shiro’s Quintessence. And found the guy that you threatened.” Lance said, “The healers fixed up the Quintessence issues and now they have the guy.”

Keith winced. “I called Shiro baby?” He asked, he groaned and looked at Shiro. Who looked so Shiro-like now, his eyes were soft and he didn’t look nearly as tired as he had before. “That felt oddly easy.”

“I suppose it was,” Shiro scratched at the back of his head. “I guess sometimes all you need to do is ask for help.”

“Yeah.” Keith snapped, which was directed at Shiro. “You fucking idiot!” He started slapping Shiro in the arm and Shiro let it happen. “You should’ve asked us for help, I was so fucking worried about you and you weren’t saying anything.”

“Keith—”

“Nope!” Keith held up a hand. “I am going to tell Adam everything, and he’s going to beat your ass.”

“Adam?” Pidge and Hunk chorused. “Like Adam Wright?”

Shiro looked a bit sheepish, he rubbed the back of his neck, and shuffled on his feet. Before looking at everyone. “I’m very sorry,” he took a deep breath, “For not asking for help, or confiding in any of you.”

“Damn right,” Keith muttered. “Lance and I were—” He looked at Lance, who had a thin scar. Reaching from the side of his chin, up to just below his eye on his left cheek. Keith stared for a moment longer.

“Keith?” Hunk asked, “Are you okay?”

The answer was no. Keith wasn’t okay in the slightest. 

He had thought he killed his best friend, revealed to everyone he was part of an evil murdering race, tried to hurt himself, had Shiro yell at him and shove him, had Shiro act so oddly that Keith knew something was wrong. Get punched by Shiro. Go to Odziz and get called a freak, dance with Lance and then run off because he was a coward. Watch a girl be in the most pain that she’d ever been in, then had to fight his brother.

Instead of saying any of that Keith smiled at everyone, his eyes settling on Lance’s scar for a moment more than he needed to.

“I’m glad everyone’s alright,” Keith smiled.

“Keith?” Allura asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Keith smiled again. “I’m okay.”

And he almost said it convincingly enough that he himself believed it to be true.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a few notes.
> 
> 1\. Why was the ending rushed? Because Keith was unconscious for three days and Lance was banned from La-Kua.
> 
> 2\. Lance's scar is supposed to mirror the one that Keith gets in the show, (it's on his left cheek, and Keith's is on his right) so that represents quite a lot, basically Lance's love for Keith.
> 
> 3\. Keith is lying. He is not fine. He is going to have a breakdown. Like very soon.
> 
> Thank you for reading y'all, I didn't want this part being too long. So all the messy emotional side is going to be in the next part, and it is going to be messy. (Keith hasn't had a break since 'You Need To Let Go' and all of the emotions are penting up inside a very small body)
> 
> I hope the explanation of Quintessence and stuff didn't seem forced or dumb... cause I have had it being a thing since... 'Nobody Knows You Know' so I (hope) I set up for that.
> 
> This is probably my least favourite part, whether you feel the same or not is up to you completely.
> 
> Comment any thoughts, was not-Shiro mean enough? I feel like Keith is gonna feel that for a long while.


End file.
